1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of commercial play structures and, in particular, to "wet" interactive play structures and methods for retrofitting or converting conventional "dry" play structures for interactive water play.
2. Description of the Related Art
The popularity of family-oriented theme parks and commercial recreation facilities has increased dramatically in the last decade. Water parks, in particular, have proliferated as adults and children alike seek the thrill and entertainment of "wet" play attractions as a healthy and enjoyable way to cool off in the hot summer months. Wet play attractions featuring "interactive water play" are especially popular among families having young and intermediate age children.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,048 and related Design Patent D330,579 first disclosed the concept of "interactive water play," in which play participants can operate any one of a number of valves to adjust the amount of water spraying from one or more associated water effects. Play participants adjust the various valves and can immediately observe the change in the rate of water flowing from the various associated water effects. This allows play participants to experiment with and learn about the cause-and-effect relationship between action (pulling a rope or turning a wheel) and reaction (getting doused with a gush of water or watching a water geyser erupt) using a familiar and entertaining medium, namely water. Small children, particularly, can benefit from the fun learning experiences garnered from interactive water play.
Many successful large-scale commercial water parks now incorporate interactive water play structures of the type disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,048. Families that have patronized these commercial water parks have discovered for themselves the valuable entertainment and educational benefits that interactive water play provides. Sales of admission tickets for many such commercial water parks have surged following the introduction of a new interactive water play structure.
Due in part to the increasing popularity of water theme parks, many conventional "dry" (i.e. non-water) recreation parks have sought to add various wet play attractions to meet growing demand for such attractions and to increase overall park attendance. However the cost of many large-scale water attractions, in terms of initial capital expenditures and operation and maintenance costs, is often prohibitive. Many dry recreation parks do not have existing systems for drainage and/or recirculation of the large quantities of run-off water often generated by such large-scale water attractions. Moreover the level of patronage and revenues generated by many conventional dry recreation parks, particularly in rural or suburban areas, would not justify the expense of installing extensive water drainage and recirculation systems.